School of International Studies

Distinctive Features

Academics

• One of 15 global university-based social entrepreneurship centers.  The only center based within a School of International Studies
• One of three U.S. based universities that will offer a Certificate Program in Social Entrepreneurship (2009).
• Only university to offer MA in Social Entrepreneurship (2009)
• Applied research on monitoring the impact of social entrepreneurship organizations and their sustainability strategies

 
Local and Global Impact

• Only Center with international microfinance organization on campus (Katalysis Bootstrap Fund)
• Business plan that projects Center sustainability in a five year period
• Community Impact through workshops offered to local community non-profit organizations interested in incorporating social entrepreneurship within their organization
• Establishment of first microcredit fund for the economically disadvantaged population of the Central Valley of California in conjunction with the San Joaquin Delta College Small Business Development Center (in process)

 
Student Involvement

• The Council of University Social Entrepreneurs is the student arm of the Global Center for Social Entrepreneurship.  Its function is to promote all aspects of social entrepreneurship on campus:  research, documentation, internships, speakers, forums, joint ventures, and career opportunities.  It is composed of interested students from six schools within the University and is located at the Global Center in Callison Hall 
• Incubator Apprenticeship Program in which student liaisons provide resource information to start-up international non-profit organizations (current programs in Guatemala, Nepal, Kenya, Afghanistan, Liberia)
• Internships for students in local, national, and international social entrepreneurship organizations
• Social Entrepreneur Practitioner Speaker Series that brings leading specialists in the field to the University for campus-community forums and classroom seminars
• Career development program for students interested in working for social entrepreneurship organizations

 
Global Center Advisory Board

• The Global Center Advisory Board is made up of a group of twelve practitioners, investors, academicians, corporate CEOs, non-profit executives, foundation directors, and technical specialists of recognized social entrepreneurial organizations and related fields to provide counsel in the growth and development of the Center
• Advisory Board members also serve as Mentors to council members through the Mentorship Program.

Pacific Pioneers 

Pacific is at the forefront of this new field. We are privileged to have three exemplary alumni who have received global awards for their pioneering work: 

Martin Burt from Paraguay initiated Fundacion Paraquaya, an innovative microcredit program in his homeland that combines education, training and small loans that has transformed over 50,000 poor campesino youth into energized rural entrepreneurs.  (See a film  about Martin.) Visit their site to learn more about Fundacaion Paraguaya.

Sakena Yacoobi of Afghanistan founded the Afghan Institute of Learning (http://www.creatinghope.org/), a women-led NGO that has established a network of Women's Learning Centers, schools and clinics that serve over 350,000 women and children. During the time of the Taliban, Sakena operated underground schools and health clinics for girls and women. (See a film about Sakena.)

Heidi Kuhn has started an innovative organization Roots of Peace that is removing landmines around the world and planting trees and crops in their place. 

Martin, Heidi and Sakena have received worldwide recognition at international forums for their groundbreaking achievements. All three have given talks at Pacific for our students and they are intent on building these same learning opportunities for other Pacific students.  Six Pacific students have completed internships with Martin Burt in Paraguay and one with Roots of Peace in Vietnam.